When the knee cap (the patella) moves from its position on lateral movement this is referred to as Patella Dislocation. In some cases of patella dislocation, the knee cap will move back to its correct position with knee movement. If it remains dislocated then it needs to be moved back by a medical professional. While the patella remains in the wrong place it causes stress to the supporting structures both active and passive. It can sometimes lead to injury of the ligament there. Recovery from a patella dislocation comes in the form of visits with a physio West Perth.
What causes dislocation?
There are a number of ways a dislocation can happen and they fall under the following categories;
- Trauma – Something hits you directly on the knee or an accident causes you to hit something with it
- Pre-disposing conditions – Things like hypermobility, biomechanical problems, an imbalance between the medial structures and lateral tissues, or ligament laxity
- Non- traumatic – So an accident or injury where you might twist the leg wrong and cause damage and possible dislocation
Usually, it is quite clear when the patella is not in place, you can visually see it out. When it is returned symptoms include joint bleeding, instability, pain, swelling and joint locking. Treatment with a physio Wembley will help with these but you should first seek medical help, especially if the patella is still out of place. You will need some scans to assess damage to the soft tissues and bone.
Treatment options
Where the dislocated patella does not spontaneously relocate management tends to be conservative at first, meaning moving it back without using surgery where possible. Most cases do well without it and a patient with help from a physio West Perth. After 6 weeks of a brace and being immobile start the recovery and the rehabilitation process. 6 weeks assumes patients go to their physio, follow their advice and complete home exercises. Your movement patterns, strength and mobility are dependent on your commitment to rehab. In general, it takes patients between 8 to 12 weeks of physio work.
Surgery is usually for patients who might have a number of dislocations, have not been successfully treated with the conservative approach, have a great deal of damage to the ligaments or have a large chondral injury or associated fracture. After surgery treatment involves managing the pain and staying immobilised for longer. Then the physio rehab time is longer too, anywhere from 4 to 9 months on average. It partly depends on how fit and strong you were before the dislocation.
How a Physio can help with recovery
Seeing a physio Wembley is critical to your recovery from patella dislocation. With a great physio you can;
- Regain the full range of motion you had before
- Prevent a loss of function on a permanent basis and prevent muscle loss
- Introduce exercise to improve range of motion and use treatments such as hydrotherapy
- Improve stability and strength in that knee
- Reduce the risk of future dislocation by addressing poor loading patterns and making movement corrections
- Have patients return safely to normal activity
